How to Bounce Back from a Bad Day at Work?

Are you having a rough day at work? Or have you had a whole lot of bad days this week? If yes, then join the club. Because you definitely aren’t the only one! Most of us at some point of our lives experience something bad at work and that of course is very natural. Often it is out of our control. So it becomes hard to bounce back. But that surely doesn’t mean things have come to an end and there’s nothing you can do about it. With the right technique, you can turn things around and stop them from getting worse. And this article will definitely help you with that.

How to Turn Around a Bad Day at Work?

1. Shake it off yourself:

The first thing you need to do is dust yourself and get over the situation. Realize that bad days are natural and happen all the time. You should know how to deal with it like an adult and the prime step to that is shaking it off yourself. Don’t bring the stress and workload back at your place. Leave all the bad emotions back at work. You should try to establish a routine after work. This will help you understand that work is done and now you should get back home, with all work stress behind.

2. Do something that makes you feel good:

A second thing you should try is doing something that will make you feel good. You can put an end to a bad day by focusing on something that you enjoy the most. It could be a yoga routine when you are back home or reading a good book or maybe a nice cool bubble bath… whatever works for you. Call up an old friend and meet them for lunch. That could work well too. Some people like going to the gym after work as it acts as an effective stress buster.

3. Don’t take it too personally:

Don’t take things like these too personally. A bad day doesn’t mean you have failed for life. Neither does it mean all your days are going to go bad. So stop surrounding yourself with anger and negativity and try to take things less personally. Don’t let it all bottle up. Communicating on how you feel to someone who knows you very well will help you get a perspective from an outsider. They will help you get a clearer and better picture.

4. Try to think of what happened:

Hopefully this will prove to be a successful strategy and help you bounce back. Before you move on and put everything behind, please remember that there are things that have to be thought about. So spend some time thinking. Take a moment to think on what didn’t go so great. If you are able to evaluate what went wrong, you can understand better by doing the same thing in the future. This will help you become more proactive than reactive and maybe in the future you will be able to stop a bad day from derailing your week.

5. Cancel all the pity party:

Okay this is something you have to be mindful of. When you are going through a bad day, your decision making skills could get screwed because you are thinking emotionally. So avoid making rash decisions at that time. So don’t delete the power point presentation you just made or drink yourself to glory. Instead just give yourself enough time to balance your emotions. If you can’t do anything about it, then just sleep on it. Sometimes letting off one day and starting afresh the very next day is the most powerful cure.

6. Try to see where the real problem is:

When you are going through a bad day, you will think of statements such as “I feel so silly” or nothing is going as I had planned. But just try to pause the catastrophe thinking right there and take a moment to indentify the emotions that are lying behind the thoughts. When you are flustered, your mind tends to be more cluttered, but recent researches have also shown that putting your feelings down in words can always add brakes on the emotional response and try to develop a better perspective. Try to be more calm.

7. How to deal with your boss:

There is also a way to deal with your boss during times like this. This person, more than any other has enough power to disrupt and change your whole life at work! So make sure to keep this guy well pleased and happy. If you are having a bad day, keep away from the boss. This is definitely not the time to be proactive about interacting. You are going to feel irritated or say something that will ruin your relationship with them. Likewise if your boss is having a bad day, the reaction will be the same. So relax!

8. Take care but don’t lose focus:

This could be a great time to pamper and take care of yourself but please don’t lose focus. You could go eat something you like or shop for some nice shoes and clothes. So instead of looking for service level cure, ask yourself what you can learn out of this situation and then come up with a plan for better execution. You don’t have to over indulge.

9. Eat healthily:

A lot of you stop eating because you are so stressed about what happened at work. Our suggestion would be to stop being so right away and try to eat more healthily. When you eat better, you feel better and that will help you bounce back at work right the next day. So don’t make the mistake of skipping breakfast at all. Eat enough and make sure there is a regular supply of essential nutrients. That is always important.

10. Take a break:

Another thing you should do is take a break. Now if your day has just come to and you are feeling horrible, just give yourself 15 minutes to relax. Do some yoga or walk around the lawn a bit. This will always reduce employee hassle significantly

11. Get some exercise:

Exercise is really good for the body and can help you in a lot of ways. So make sure to get at least 30 minutes of exercise regularly. This will act as a stress buster, help you stay relaxed and improve blood circulation as well. Plus it is a good, easy and simple way to bounce back from work. So do it frequently to see a change.

12. Try a new hobby:

One of the most effective ways to get out of a bad day at work is by developing a new hobby. This always works wonders. It is also a great way to distract yourself. Step outside your home and try to learn about a new sport. Or better try to learn some kind of instrument or a dance of some kind. It would definitely reduce work stress and keep you occupied. Some people have often suggested reading a good book in the meantime.

13. Ask for help:

If you do need help at a certain point, don’t hesitate to ask. In work places there are always people to help. So if you feel like you are in a bad situation and could use someone to rescue, please seek advice and clarification. This will definitely prove helpful. You will be surprised at the number of co workers will come forward and try to help you out. When you are asking someone to join the project, do remember that you owe them something once it’s over. Either you could treat them with something or wait for a situation where you can help them out.

14. Remind yourself:

In order to bounce back from a bad day at work, you need to remind yourself that life isnt over and about those things that matter most. If you are at the desk, stop for a couple of seconds and take deep breaths. Think of your family and children. That will help you feel better. Your purpose in life is not to get all that stressed at work. And even if it happens, learn how to bounce back by using the right techniques.

15. Don’t multitask:

And finally! Stop trying to be a multi tasker. It will harm your health according to experts. Do as much as you can and do it well.

This brings us to the end of the post. If any of you have something interesting to tell us or a question if you have in mind, feel free to leave a comment below. We will try our level best to answer all of them. Hopefully you wouldn’t be having bad days at work after reading this. Also try and test some of our tips and ideas and let us know how it worked for you.

12 years of Experience within the International BPO/ Operations and Recruitment Areas. Extensive experience in Complete Recruitment Life Cycle - Sourcing, Negotiation and Delivery.Loves Writing in my Free Time on varied Topics